PRESIDING judge in the Shakir Mohamed murder trial voir dire, Justice Brassington Reynolds yesterday ruled that the caution statement by the accused was freely and voluntarily given to the police.

And the judge ruled that it be tendered in evidence at the trial.
According to the caution statement, the accused had told the police that the killer was Mark Singh who because of some financial problem with his aunt who had him paying rates and taxes he had murdered her.
And the big caution statement that landed Shakir in trouble came after Assistant Superintendent of Police David handed Shakir a copy of a caution statement that Mark had made to the police.
After reading Mark’s caution statement, Shakir wrote his own statement and dictated same to ASP David, under caution and in the present of a witness.
It turned out that Mark Singh and Shakir Mohamed were charged with the murder of Shewraney Doobay, called Monica.
But as fate would have it, Singh died during the preliminary hearing and Shakir alone survived to face trial.
Apart from David, another witness who testified yesterday was Dr. Ramsundar Doobay of the Georgetown Public Hospital. He is the husband of the ill-fated ‘Monica’.
He told of going home at 5th Street Campbelville and finding that his wife had been killed.
He admitted to defence counsel Mr. Jainarayan Singh (a former High Court judge) and Mr. Moti Singh from Berbice, that although he was interviewed by the police and were accompanied by a lawyer on each occasion, he did not consider himself a suspect in the matter.
According to ASP David, sometime after he served a copy of Singh’s caution statement on Shakir, Shakir dictated to him a story which read- “I look at this man Mark story, and dat is nah wah really happen. About two weeks back he start to tell me dat he aunty get he ah pay rates and tax and like dat get into he and he plan fuh kill she.
“De Tuesday he tell me he want me to drop he off by she fuh gee she some money. I drop he off with me car HB 9260 and he tell me to park away from she house and we walk and go by she. He had a hammer wrap up in a black plastic bag. When we reach the house, she open the kitchen door, we got in and he told she that we got a work in de area and we hungry. She said she ain’t cook, but she gon gee we sandwich and drink. She make three sandwiches, with cheese, jam and a thick butter. Me eat one, he eat one and she gee Mark the other one for a fren.
“Out de house, me in front and he went little behind me, he tek the hammer which was still in the bag and lash she wan good set a lash to the mole or base ah she head. She scream one time and he lash she one more time and she fall on me and I ease she down to the ground in de kitchen. She head de facing north. She de still moving when I rest she pon the ground and he gee she one more lash to she head and she stop moving. Mark then tell me wait and he rush in the hall area spent some time and he came back with a cotton bag. Something been inside but he ain’t show me but I think it is money.
“When we reach at the flatshop at Success, E.C.D. he pay off de bill. He tell me he gon deal with me later, but I ain’t know whether he gon gee me money or kill me. When we left the house we walk together to Stone Avenue and he turn on the street that running east to west. I think is Fourth Street. He tell me pick up me car and come an reach he . Ah see he throw the black bag wid de hammer in de gutter at the corner of Stone Avenue and Fourth Street.
The hearing continues today when the prosecution will call its last witness before closing its case.
The defence will begin today.